Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Poetry Party

Bruce Lansky has edited several poetry collections for kids. This was his first book of original poems. Themes in the book include parents, brothers, sisters, school, pets, and various life disasters. All of the poems were field tested with students and teachers around the country, including several schools in Minnesota.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Ballyhoo Bay

Mira Bella teaches art at the beach. Her students include kids, grannies, and a host of animals. They are preparing for the Ballyhoo Art Fair. On the day before the fair, a huge sign appears on the beach announcing a plan to build a large apartment complex and casino at the beach. Soon, Mira Bella and her students are preparing to fight city hall, and their alternative plan wins in the end. Written by Judy Sierra with illustrations by Minnesotan Derek Anderson, this bright colorful story has an environmental lesson for good measure.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Things Change

This hard-hitting novel by Patrick Jones is the story of sixteen year old Johanna, an intelligent high school junior, who becomes becomes heavily involved with a senior named Paul. He is sort of a slacker, but likes to be the center of attention. Soon Johanna's major focus is on keeping him happy - doing whatever it takes - because when he is unhappy or frustrated about something, he lashes out at her verbally and physically. This book could be a resource to start a discussion about dating violence.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Emma's Question

Emma's grandmother is a wonderful person. She babysits for Emma after school and takes her out for a bagel on wednesdays. But grandmother has had to go to the hospital for several days, and Emma is very worried that something must be terribly wrong. In fact, she has a question that is too scary to ask. This is a first book by Minnesotan Catherine Urdahl, and is illustrated by Janine Dawson. This is a nice story for parents to share with young children.

Friday, April 24, 2009

One Brown Bunny

A little brown bunny explores the woods near his home, looking for someone to play with. But no one is interested, until the very end of the story. A counting story, told in rhyme, this will be fun to share with young children. It is written by Marion Dane Bauer, with pastel illustrations by Ivan Bates.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Little Boy

Here is a simple story, perfect for fathers to share with their young sons - and it's all about the simple things that make a boy happy: bugs, sand in the toy dump truck, puddles to splash in, animal crackers, and a big cardboard box for all kinds of imaginary games - they're all here. Written by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds, this might be prefect for a new father on Father's Day.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Raising You Alone

Life as a single parent, or the child of a single parent, is not easy. There may be times of anger or frustration, loneliness, and lack or time or money. This story, written and illustreated by Warren Hanson; with a parent and child rabbit as the main characters, is a nice story for single parents to keep on the shelf and share with young children when appropriate.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Song of Sampo Lake

Matti Ojala is a middle child, often feeling overlooked in the shadow of his big brother Timo. The Ojala family have immigrated to northern Minnesota from Finland, and the year is 1900. Early in the story, Matti, his father, brother, and uncle are all working in the underground iron ore mine at Soudan, hoping to save money for a homestead; but when his uncle is killed in a mine accident, the family's future begins to change. His father takes claim on a homestead on rocky land near Sampo Lake, and Matti helps to clear the land and build a cabin. He also clerks part-time in a general store, and teaches English to other immigrants. Written by William Durbin, this story vividly tells the story of homestead life in northern Minnesota. This could be a resource for Minnesota history classes.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Blackwater Ben

Thirteen year old Ben Ward is a cooks' helper for his dad at a logging camp in northern Minnesota in the winter of 1898. The camp is called Blackwater Camp, and Ben is kept busy peeling potatoes, washing dishes, hauling lunch to the lumberjacks, and a host of other jobs. What he'd really like to be doing is something more important like hauling the logs from where they are cut to the riverbank where they will be moved downstream when Spring comes. There are several colorful characters at this camp and plenty of lumberjack tales to be told, and pranks to be pulled. Written by William Durbin, this was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award in 2004, and is a nice supplement to the study of logging in Minnesota history.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

The Good Path; Ojibwe Learning and Activity Book for Kids

Readers will learn about the history and culture of the Ojibwe in this book. It also focuses on the teachings of The Good Path. These are nine core values of Ojibwe philosophy: honor the creator, honor elders, honor women, honor our older brothers, be peaceful, be kind to everyone, be moderate in our thoughts, words and deeds, be courteous, and keep our promises. Each chapter includes suggested activities, making it an excellent classroom resource. Written by Thomas Peacock, with photography by Marlene Wisuri, it won the Minnesota Book Award for Young Adult Nonfiction, and was a finalist in the Academic/Education category in 2003.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Taku Wadaka He? (What Do You See?)

A simple introduction to the Dakota language, this story involves a grandfather sharing his knowledge of sacred items with his granddaughter. Images of these items are hidden inside the picture of a tipi. On the facing page, the image is shown in its own setting. This bilingual story is written by Joanne Zacharias and illustrated by Steven Smith, both from Minnesota. Joanne is a member of the Shakopee Mdewakatan Sioux Community and is a certified Dakota language teacher.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Someone Walks By

Readers will learn about the winter habits of birds and other animals in the north woods. The "someone" of the title remains a bit of a mystery as many animals visit the pages of this story. Written and illustrated with wonderful collage pictures by Polly Carlson-Voiles, this could supplement a unit on seasons or Minnesota animals.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Muriel's Red Sweater

Muriel Magee, a white duck, wears her favorite red sweater everywhere. Today is her birthday, and she personaly delivers party invitations to all her friends. Unfortunately, her sweater is slowly unraveling until nothing is left. What happened? Early readers can help solve the mystery by carefully looking for clues in the pictures, and they will enjoy the surprise ending. This is written by a new Minnesota author, Dara Dohas, and is illustrated with bright illustrations by Bernadette Pons. It will be a fun book for kids to share with a friend or in a small group.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

The Science Project That Almost Ate the School

Thinking of a science project can be a real challenge for some students. That is the case for the girl in this story. But one day she sees an ad on the internet for "Professor Swami's Super Slime", and decides it will be perfect for the basis of her project. Unfortunately when it arrives, the slime is hungry and grouchy, and it eats everything in sight. With a rhyming text by Judy Sierra, and wonderful illustrations by Minnesotan Stephen Gammell, this is a fun book to share with any class.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Latino Minnesota

While Minnesota is well known for its immigrants from Norway, Sweden, and Germany; it is less well known for Spanish-speaking immigrants from Mexico and Latin America. This book fills a gap in that history. It describes diverse Latino communities in the state from around 1910 to the present, and includes information on community leaders, as well as political and social issues. Written by Leigh Roethke, the book also has excellent illustrations to enhance the text. Personally, I learned a lot by reading it, and I'm a Minnesota native. It's an excellent resouce for social studies classes.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Horsefly

A young girl named Jewel is afraid of many things including the horses that live on her family's ranch. One day a scrawny new foal is born, and her grandfather places it in Jewel's care. Because of its size, Jewel names it Bug. Some time later, Jewel learns that Bug has a special talent - he can fly. When the sinister owner of a traveling circus discovers this talent, Bug is in real danger, and Jewel must find a way to save him. Written by Alice Hoffman, with illustrations by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, this picture book will be enjoyed by horse lovers.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

The First Day of Winter

It's April, as I write this, but the weather forecast calls for snow the next two days. Maybe it's not too late for another 'winter' book. This title, by Consie Powell, is partly a counting book, but also introduces readers to animals and their activities in the winter. The illustrations include animal tracks and dioramas that show animal activity (or not) underground. Additional background notes are included in the back. The illustrations alone make this an excellent classroom resource.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Julia Gillian (And the Art of Knowing)

Nine year old Julia is a talented girl; making paper mache' masks, reading the mind of her St. Bernard named Bigfoot; and making accurate predictions, among others. Julia is currently reading a book, and she is afraid it will have a sad ending, and that frightens her. Readers can follow Julia's story as she learns that having friends and family around makes life less scary and more fun. Written by Alison McGhee, and set in south Minneapolis, this is a 2009 finalist for the Minnesota Book Award.

Going Wild with Eloise Butler

Here is a classroom resource for intermediate grades. It is comprised of a short biography of Eloise Butler, a science teacher in the Minneapolis schools in the late 1800's, who was the moving force behind the establishment of a wildflower garden in a Minneapolis park. The park later became Theodore Wirth Park, and the wildflower garden was eventually named in honor of Eloise. The book's author is Judy Bridell with black and white botanical illustrations by Bruce Wilson. The book might be a resource for Minnesota history or science classes.